October 05, 2008

Traditional and Untraditional Pumpkin Arrangements

One of my favorite things about fall are all the varieties of beautiful gourds and pumpkins you can find at farm stands, pumpkin patches—even your local grocery store! A couple of weeks back, I was at the Food Emporium around the corner from my apartment just after they had just gotten their first shipment of pumpkins for the season. Two of them caught my eye right away. The first was the classic orange type with a beautiful long stem. The other was less traditional, a silvery green with a really great shape. So I thought, how cool would it be to do two totally different pumpkin arrangements using all fall flowers? One would go the more traditional route with classic colors, like yellow and burnt orange. The other could be something totally unexpected—still appropriate for the season but in a different, more subtle way.

Mums are such a popular flower for the fall, so with the un-traditional arrangement, I definitely wanted to mix things up a bit. On the way back from the store, pumpkins in hand, I stopped at the bodega just to see what I could find. The first thing I went for was a grouping of mums, all in gorgeous tones of lavender and purple that would be perfect with the silvery green of the pumpkin.

When I got home, the first thing I did was make a small, round cut at the top. I used a pairing knife, but you could easily use any number of tools specially made for carving pumpkins. Just make sure the opening isn't too wide!

Next, scoop out the seeds, but don't throw them away! Later, they're going to be great for toasting. And how pretty is that color on the inside? It totally reminded me of a ripe papaya, and it smelled just as sweet!

Check out the final result! Purpley mums in a gray-green pumpkin—it’s such an unexpected take on a classic fall arrangement. And you know what? It really wasn’t that hard at all, I promise you! If you have a few minutes, click over to the videos I did on how to make professional looking flower arrangements. All the same principles apply! For this one, I used a flower frog in a plastic container filled with water. It helps keep your pumpkin fresh and your flowers last longer. And here’s a little more advice: think clusters. Group similar flowers together, either by variety or tone, for a more natural looking arrangement. Here, I placed mine on an ironstone compote I found at an antique mall up in Hyde Park, not too far from where I went to culinary school! And do you remember those old doilies I made modern by dying them all gray? For Halloween, I thought this one added a kind of cool spooky factor to the arrangement. It’s almost like a spider web but in a sophisticated, subtle way. For a smashing pumpkin centerpiece on a circular table, pair it with a beautiful gray linen tablecloth, an oversized doilie in a darker tone, white plates, gray napkins, polished silver candlesticks and little green gourds turned into votives. How pretty is that?

For a more traditional take on pumpkin arrangements, stick to the orange kind. They're classic and straight-up pretty, especially paired with hypericum berries and dahlias in all the colors of the season. You know when you're watching a really beautiful sunset and it's those last few minutes just before the sun dips out of sight? The sky bursts into such vibrant colors—rich reds, yellows and oranges—just like these flowers! This arrangement I see as a grouping going down the center of a long farm table. At every setting, there's an antique yellowware pie plate, wooden and bone handled flatware, a marigold yellow linen napkin tied with bittersweet vine and a pretty brown place card cut into the shape a pumpkin leaf.

And now that you saved all those seeds, toss them in Kosher salt and toast them up for a healthy, crunchy snack. If sweets are more your thing, mix in roughly chopped semi-sweet chocolate for a delicious homemade pumpkin trail mix.

Run back to the shop and buy a couple more silvery green pumpkins because they make the most delicious and velvety pumpkin pies you can imagine! I am serious. A friend and I went on a roadtrip one year in October and stopped at this amazing organic road stand in Keromeos that's my favorite stop through the okanogan wine tour... not many people go the keremeos way because there is a new highway now but my parents used to take us through there every year and I still stop at this same farm stand. We loaded up the trunk of her old Polara with about a dozen different kinds of pumpkins and a zillion heirloom veggies and squashes. Her man is a chef and we thought we would invite friends over to have a pumpkin carving party while he cooked us a feast. We had the most amazing Jack O Lantern collection that just covered the front stairs, and he made these pies that were so heavenly we actually considered driving back up to get more of these pumpkins (six hours away). They were amazing. I now get my local grocer to bring in a few. I live on the other side of the okanogan now and perhaps they are easier to get over here. I don't know, but trust me... they would be worth the trip if I had to.

Eddie these are beautiful! I love everything you did here from the two arrangements themselves down to the seeds. We have a lot of white pumpkins here in RI this year for some reason and your arrangement with the white pumpkin is stunning - very classy.

I love the fact that you are so inspiring and you are willing to share your ideas to make others lives more beautiful. When someone is as talented as you it is an obvious gift, so glad you are willing to share. I will be using Linen and cream and silver for my thanksgiving with my foliage in boxwood and dusty miller with white Kale , white pumpkins and some of the french blues that you are showing. I thought I would scatter nuts around the arrangement to add the natural color and texture. I am going to look for ivory handled knives. See how you have inspired me. I am so excited for the hunt. Thankyou,Kathysue

Beautiful arrangements, especially the orange pumpkin. I am always so impressed by the quality of your pictures - they truly look like they are out of magazines. Is it the camera, or do you use other photography props? Truly inspirational.

I sit down this evening and google blogs for fall floral arrangement to and wouldn't you know the Eddie Ross blog comes up...gawd I love that. Trying to get some inspiration for magazine photo shoot I'm styling on Tuesday. You always keep it fresh!

I want to see you at our party on the 25th. will you tell Hanns too if you speak with her? Love your blog. I have it as a favorite on my bookbar bar and check it right after my emails in the a.m. Sometimes before. XOXOX

I passed a batch of orange pumpkins at the grocery store today and my girls started begging for the ones with tacky faces painted on them. You know, the primary colors plastered all across the front? I cringed. I can only hope the offspring will appreciate a lovely greenish gray series of pumpkins spruced with mums. To compensate, I'll increase their candy on Halloween.

bought a dresser this weekend at an estate sale that I was working- can't wait to put a coat of paint on it and hope it comes out half as beautiful as your secretary- Got my fingers crossed that you have a great win this week- Beautiful arrangements

La La LOVELY!! Eddie, you make the simplest things come out so superb! I am going to do this for the tea party I am planning for my Mom's birthday....If the arrangements come out okay... i will post on my blog..

I was thinking maybe mini pumpkins down the center of the table with small bunches of mums..and then each guest can take one home..

Thanks for the wonderful ideas and inspiration. I found a gray/blue pumpkin that had been etched when it was growing with the word "Autumn" in a beautiful font. Now that it is fully grown the letters are spread across the front of the pumpkin...the letters grew along with the pumpkin (kind of like scar tissue). It looks very pretty on a pedestal with other pumpkins and gourds around it.

I love buying pumpkins at the Farmers Markets. I made an arrangement last year but did'nt put a container inside...WHOOPS!! Learned a lesson there. I love your arrangements. You are so talented and make it look and sound so easy.